Panel SA: Regular bus companies criticize charter onslaught with new association

Regular passenger transport companies criticize the onslaught of charter bus companies, which launched an association this week to defend their vision of the market with regulatory changes.

Letícia Pineschi, counselor at Abrati (Brazilian Association of Passenger Land Transport Companies), says that the creation of the entity is a legitimate initiative, but the rules of the model have already been discussed last year by other associations in the sector.

“The charterers had a very important defeat with the law 14.298 [que vedou a venda individual de bilhete de passagem em transportes não regulares] and now they intend to reverse this issue. But it is totally untimely with a ready-made law. This project spent a year in Congress. There was no lack of discussion, there was a public hearing with other entities in the sector”, says Pineschi.

The so-called closed circuit of road transport prohibits the passenger from purchasing only one of the parts of the chartered trip — that is, the company must have the same passengers on the way and return.

The end of this rule is one of the banners of Abrafrec (Brazilian Association of Collaborative Charterers), which started activities this week with more than 200 members.

The issue is also defended by federal deputy Márcio Labre (PL – RJ) who, after the launch of the entity, asked the Chamber of Deputies to create a mixed parliamentary front in defense of the so-called collaborative charter companies.

Joana Cunha with Andressa Motter